Earlier this March, two former Lake Zurich High School cheer coaches, Kaylin Dietrich and Gabrille Kelly, were arrested and charged for alleged embezzlement of school funds.
The women, who coached the cheer team at LZHS during the 2022-2023 school year, are being accused of embezzling more than $38,000 in school funds in 2023. This is after the D95 administration reported “accounting irregularities” to the LZPD.
“The district is proud of the diligence of the business staff in finding and investigating these irregularities and grateful for a strong partnership with the Lake Zurich Police Department,” said Jean Malek, the Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations, in a press release.
According to Malek, The district first became aware of the missing funds as the business department reconciled monthly transactions. Later, they conducted a “detailed analysis” and contacted relevant parties before approaching law enforcement.
“The reconciliation process that took place – that led to the discovery – is in place for the very purpose of identifying any improprieties,” Malek said. “In light of this incident, we have provided a refresher of the typical training given to relevant staff members, along with additional tips, that will continue to help them identify any incomplete or suspicious transactions.”
According to court documents, Kelly and Dietrich are each facing two counts of theft and two counts of money laundering, both of which are felony charges. Their arrests come after an investigation that began in February 2024. Kelly turned herself in on March 19th of this year, while Dietrich did the same on the 20th.
“Gabbi is another victim of Kaylin Dietrich’s, just like Lake Zurich School District 95,” said Jason S. Dreifuss, Kelly’s lawyer, in a statement. “Ms. Dietrich was a mentor to Gabbi, and Ms. Dietrich manipulated her. I am requesting that the public reserve judgment of Gabbi.”
In an interview in 2023 with Rampage, GCHS’s student-led publication, Kelly, who was employed there as an English teacher, described herself as someone who “aspires to be the teacher students will later remember as someone who was there for them.”
“My philosophy is just to make sure that my culture and my environment in my classroom is set up for all students and that I am making sure that I’m as equitable as I possibly can [be],” Kelly said. “To provide the most stable environment for [my students], whether in my classroom or not.”
